Aruhi no Oshitari : Crazy Little Thing Called Love
by Papilio.Ageha
Summary: A companion side stories and drabbles collection for Aruhi no Oshitari series. Mainly ShiraishixOC; hints of KenyaxOC. [SERIES IS GETTING A REWRITE. PLEASE CHECK OUT: "RED CHRYSANTHEMUM"]
1. Words from the Author

**Prologue**

**Hi everyone, EcstaticPetenshi here! Some of you might be wondering what this fic about. Just like what I wrote in the summary, this is an oneshots/ side stories/drabbles collection for my _Aruhi no Oshitari_ series.**

**For those who didn't know what _Aruhi no Oshitari _series is, please check my stories and read _Aruhi no Oshitari : Red Chrysanthemum_ and _Aruhi no Oshitari : Kiss? Wait! What!_ first. **

**The stories in this fic will be written from various characters' view, like Kouki, Shiraishi, Kenya, and any other characters that had appeared in previous stories. **

**This fic will be updated once in a while and I'll also make another Aruhi no Oshitari fic with Kenya as the main character soon after I finish _NadeCinde _(ZaizenxOC fic). So stay tuned! :)**

**Now, let's proceed to the first story, shall we?**


	2. A Golden Secret Covered by Bandages

**The first story, written from (mostly) Shiraishi's side. This takes place on his first year :) This one is written to fulfill someone's request in POT-meme on LJ. Prompt: keeping secrets.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. It's Konomi-sensei's. **

**Sorry for bad English. Enjoy ^^ **

**(on further information: this contains minor spoiler for Shin Tenipuri)**

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><p><strong>A Golden Secret Covered by Bandages<strong>

It was lunch break on a sunny afternoon in autumn. Euphoric atmosphere could be found in every corner of Shitenhouji middle school. Everyone ate their bento happily and chatted to each other talking about various things such as games, sports, movie, etc. They enjoyed the short amount of free time school gave them between classes. Well, everyone did, except a boy who had just walked into the infirmary with unhappy face.

The thirteen years old Shiraishi Kuranosuke closed the door behind him. He looked around. Thanked God the room was empty. He walked to one of a bed and sat on it. He put off his sweater then rolled up his white shirt's left long sleeve, revealing a golden gauntlet underneath. With a soft click sound, the gauntlet broke up into two. He wagged his now enlightened left arm. It felt much better now.

Geez, that Osamu-chan was trying to break his arm. The gauntlet was freaking heavy and forced him to put much more effort to move his arm. Let alone swinging a racket, he had already had hard time only from raising his hand up. Not to mention that the color of that gauntlet was really flashy. He had to wear extra sweater or his jersey even in a hot day in order to hide it.

He put the gauntlet atop of his neatly folded light brown sweater beside a pillow then lied down in the bed. Gazing at the ceiling, he wondered, what was the coach planning? Why had he given it to him? Why he forced him to wear it? Had he known that it was that troublesome, he would have refused to receive it from the first place.

He raised his left hand and looked at it closely. It was bruised and red, most likely because of the excessive pressure it received. He sighed then pressed his left arm to his eyes. Maybe he should take a rest for a while. There's still some time left before the next period started.

He was nearly falling asleep when he heard noises. He peeked through the eyelids and saw a figure that had just open a curtain that separated the bed where he was lying on and other bed next to him. Once he focused his eyes, he could see a girl with long black wavy hair tied in side low ponytail was staring at him.

"Oh, it's you Kouki-chan…" He sat up and tidied up his messy bed hair.

"What's that?" Kouki asked pointing at the gauntlet of which color was really attractive.

'Crap!' He mentally cursed. The golden gauntlet was something no one ought to know. "It's nothing." He quickly tried to cover it with the pillow. His attempt failed though. Instead of covering it, he accidentally knocked it off the bed with the pillow and it graciously landed on the floor with loud sound.

She could only watch him uncharacteristically in panic as he hurriedly got off the bed and bent down to take his gauntlet. However, as soon as he stretched his dominant hand, his muscle ached and he unconsciously yelped. He completely forgot about his left hand's current condition and shouldn't have overused it.

She knelt next to him and asked him in worry. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?" She carefully took his hand and examined it. She quickly stood up again and took a first aid kit box. She told him to sit on a nearby chair and he did so. She herself sit in front of him, quietly took a roll of bandages out the box. She opened its pack then used it, warping it around his sore arm.

Realizing what she was doing, he opened his mouth, but then he closed it again. Something was off but he wasn't sure how to say it. After she had been already half-finished, he opened his mouth again and finally said the thing that had been bugging him for a while.

"Shouldn't you use some kind of medicine first before putting on the bandages?"

Her hands froze after she heard his question.

"Ah, I forgot…"

He practically sweatdropped. _Hahaha… She really forgot about it…_

"Kouki-chan, really, you-"

"I'm so sorry! I'll redo it!" Her face turned bright pink. She was about to undo the bandages when he put his other hand on her hands to stop her.

"Nah, it's okay. It's pretty good even without any medicine." He said.

She looked at him and her face turned even redder.

He blinked in confuse. Then after a while he realized what was going on and he also blushed. Quickly he released her hands and shifted his right hand to the nape. Feeling embarrassed, he looked away. "A- Anyway, thanks for the help."

She slightly nodded and continued with her work. "N- No problem."

There was an awkward silence between them as they didn't know what to say anymore. He just hoped his heartbeat wasn't loud enough for her to hear. On the other side, she wished exactly the same thing as him.

Then suddenly…

The bell rang.

Both of them jolted in surprised. She was panic now and quickly finished warping his arm. She then stood up, tidied up the first aid kit box and put it back into a wooden cupboard.

"I… have to go back to class now. See you later, Shiraishi." She said then ran away exiting the infirmary before he could say anything in reply.

He scratched his head. "What was that?" He then looked at his left arm, which was warped with white bandages. It wasn't really neatly done, but he could see her effort. He couldn't help smiling as he remembered what had happened some minutes ago.

He walked to the bed where he had been lying in and took his sweater and gauntlet. Something then caught his attention when he passed by a full length mirror near the bed. He gazed on his reflection.

Hey, he looked quite good with bandages around his left arm…

_Maybe he should try using bandages like this to hide the golden gauntlet tomorrow._

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><p><strong>And that's how Shiraishi got the idea to use bandages XD<strong>

**LOL seems that Kouki has forgotten about **_**the shiny golden thing **_**at all.**

**A very short story, I hope you like it. Please drop a review. I'd love to hear (read) your opinion ^^**


	3. Say My Name

**Hello there! This is the second story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.**

**Sorry for bad English and typos.**

**Warning: fluff, fluff and fluff~ Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Say My Name<strong>

It was a sunny day in August. The summer break ended soon and everyone attempted to enjoy it until the very end, no matter how hot it was. Some people chose to go to the beach, some go to pool, and some just go to a small amusement park in the town… That was what Oshitari Kouki was doing. She stood next to the entrance, practically waiting for a certain someone.

It was her fourth date with Shiraishi. Somehow the tension had gone down, which was good. She wasn't as tense as he had been in their first date. She didn't glance at her watch every 30 seconds. She didn't check out her appearance again and again. Well, she still did, but at least not as often as she had done before. She had to make sure she was on her best when he arrived.

She found it quite strange that he asked her to go on date in an amusement park. She had thought he would have preferred the botanical garden (like usual) or a coffee shop. Not that she mind though. It had been a while since her last time visiting the amusement park. This place also held a sweet memory for both of them. If she remembered correctly, it had been the first time he…

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><p>"C'mon, Kouki! Hurry up!" A twelve-years-old boy was running, making his way through the crowd as he shouted at a black haired girl behind him, who was trying her best to catch up.<p>

"W- wait," she panted heavily. "K- Kenya you're too fast!"

Kenya stopped then turned back. She was still far behind. Was he being too fast? Or it was her who was too slow? Either way, he felt bad for her. They had tried several attractions continuously and it was natural if she got tired. Maybe they should take a rest for a while. He looked around.

_Hey, wasn't it…_

She watched him stop then walk to a different direction from where they were heading. Being curious, she followed him and found him greeting a familiar boy.

"Yo, Shiraishi!" Kenya called the other boy.

The said boy turned around. He smiled when he saw Kenya then greeted back. "Hi, Oshitari."

She recognized him. It was Shiraishi. If she wasn't wrong, he attended the same club as Kenya, the tennis club. She gave a polite nod when he noticed her presence.

"Good afternoon." He said to her.

"Good afternoon." She replied.

Kenya looked at both of them. "You two know each other?" He asked.

"Yes. We both belong to Heath Care Committee." Shiraishi explained.

"Hee..," Kenya placed his hands behind the head. "So, what are you doing here? Are you alone?"

"No, I'm with my little sister. She's in the rest ro-"

"Ku-chan!" Someone suddenly called.

"There she is." He pointed at the little girl who had just called him.

Kouki and Kenya looked at the girl. She had curly dark brown hair tied in high twin tail and the same brown eyes as her brother.

"Huh? Who are they? Your friends?" She asked Shiraishi.

"These are Oshitari Kenya, my club mate, and Oshitari Kouki." Shiraishi said.

"I'm Shiraishi Yukari, fifth grade. Nice to meet you," she introduced herself to the Oshitaris. "Say, are you here for the new _Super Ultra Great Delicious Lighting Speed Roller Coaster_?"

"Yes! Yes!" Kenya replied excitedly. "Don't you think it's super awesome? I'm going to try it next!"

"Cool! Oh, I know, what about trying it together?" She then turned to her brother and asked. "What do you think, Ku-chan?"

"That's a good idea." Shiraishi agreed.

"Great. Shall we go?" Kenya cheered. He and Yukari then walked away, followed by Shiraishi.

_Huh?_

The three turned back and looked at Kouki with puzzled faces.

"I… I pass." She squeaked.

"You what?" Kenya asked in disbelief.

"I pass," she repeated. "I don't wanna ride _that thing_."

"What? It's the main attraction here, the greatest one. Don't be a chicken now, Kouki~!"

"It might be great, but also scary."

He sighed. He knew he couldn't force her. But it would be bad to let her waiting here alone, even though she said she didn't mind. What should he do?

"You two go ahead," Shiraishi suddenly said. "I'll wait here with her."

Yukari looked at him in surprise. "Eh? You're not coming?"

He patted her head then said, "Go and have fun with Kenya-niisan."

"Okay…" She nodded then looked up at Kenya. "Let's go then."

Kenya raised a brow at Shiraishi. The other boy just smiled and waved to him. He shrugged then went with her.

Shiraishi turned to Kouki after the two disappeared from their sight. "Are you thirsty? Let's get some drinks while waiting for them. I'm sure the queue will be quite long."

She quietly followed him to a nearby drink machine. He bought two cans of cold green tea then gave one to her.

"My treat." He said.

She thanked him and took the can. She glanced at him. Why had he decided to stay? Was it because of her?

"Say, Shiraishi," gripping the can tightly, she began. "Why don't you go with them?"

"Well," he paused for a while and took a sip from his drinks. "I don't really want to ride that roller coaster. Besides, I went here only because my parents ask me to accompany Yukari."

She didn't know if he was telling the truth or not. A boy that uninterested in amusement park was rare. He might be one though. She just couldn't tell. She didn't really know him.

Nevertheless, she couldn't help feeling slightly happy that he was here.

'_I wonder why…'_

"Oshitari really into that kind of thing, isn't he?" He said as he looked at the new roller coaster. From the distance, he could still hear faint screams.

"Huh?" She turned to him.

"Oh, sorry, I mean your cousin," he chuckled. "It is sometimes confusing to have the same name, right? I experienced that when I was still attending the same school with my sisters. People often asked _which one_."

"I know that feeling. When we were in the elementary, there were two other cousins that bore the same surname."

"Four kids with the same name? Don't tell me you all attended the same class."

She laughed at his question. "Well, we did and everyone ended up calling us by our first names."

"I see. That might be the easiest way to differ you." He mused.

"Right!" She exclaimed. "You can call us by our first names as well."

He thought for a while. That sounded good, considering that he needed a way to differ the two Oshitaris. He was quite sure that Kenya wouldn't mind if he called him by the first name since that boy actually had once asked him and the rest of the club member to do so.

"Very well. I'll start to call him _Kenya_ from now on." He stopped then looked closely at her. "Is _Kouki-chan_ good enough for you?"

She nodded. "I'm okay with that."

"Kouki-chan then," his smile grew. "Man, I've actually wanted to call you like that."

She flustered. "R- Really? Why?"

"Didn't I tell you that you have a pretty name?"

He had really said that back then when they first met. To think that he still remembered it, was her name _that _pretty?

"Kouki-chan…"

"Y- yes?" She blushed.

"Nothing. Just wanna say that. I have to practice to call you that way, right?"

"Well, that's-"

"Kouki-chan…" He started again.

"…"

"Kouki-chan…"

"…"

"Kouki-"

"Geez, stop it!"

By the time she said it, her face was already as red as an apple.

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><p>"Kouki-chan!"<p>

She looked around as she heard his voice. There he was, dressed up casually yet still as good looking as ever.

"Sorry to make you wait." He said.

She shook her head. "Nn, it's okay."

"Shall we go, then?" He took her hand, and both of the entered the amusement park.

That place was a bit different from what she remembered. It was bigger, probably due to the reconstruction. The roller coaster was still its main attraction, though.

"By any chance," she began. "Why do want to go here?"

"What if I say I want to try the roller coaster?" He hummed.

"Eh, but I thought you didn't like it."

"Well, I lied." He looked at her and smirked. "If it wasn't because of you chickening out, I might have tried it at that time."

"Sorry about that," she replied sarcastically. "But I don't remember asking you to stay."

He chuckled. "Anyhow, I'll have you ride it with me today."

"No way!"

"Oh, are you still afraid of it?"

"O- Of course not."

"It's decided then."

She pouted. Oh, why couldn't she win against him?

"Kouki-chan…"

"What?"

"Nothing~"

She knew this feeling. He was teasing her just like that time.

No, she didn't want to fall for it again.

"Stop calling my name."

"Eh, why? I know you like it." He replied. The teasing smile was still plastered on his face.

"I know what you're up to." She huffed.

"Heh, I'm amazed you still remember about it."

"Same with you."

His face softened. "Of course I do. It was the first time I call you by the first name."

She couldn't help smiling. She was happy to know that he had been paying a little attention to her ever since they were still in the first grade.

"You know, actually I have a request to you."

She looked up at him. It was rare for him to act so formal in front of her. A request? She wondered what it was.

"We've been dating for a quite some time. I think it's high time for you to call me by the first name."

She noticed his cheeks turned slightly pink when he said that.

"Huh?"

"_Say it. Say my name."_

She took a deep breath. She only had to say his name. It should be easy, right?

"Ku-" she stopped. Scratch that, she wasn't ready for this and it wasn't easy _at all._

He chuckled. "Is is really that hard? It's only a word consisted of five syllables."

They both knew that it meant more than a mere word for her.

She took another deep breath then finally managed to say.

_"Kuranosuke."_

He cupped her red cheeks with his palms and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

_"Perfect."_

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><p><strong>I think she'll call him <strong>_**Kura**_** in the future because **_**Kuranosuke**_** is just so damn long. XD**

**Yukari is his real little sister and a canon. She is featured in Pair Puri vol2. I really want to write a story about her and pair her up with someone~**

**If I was there, I would definitely try that Super -blah2- Roller Coaster XDDD Btw, I took its name from Kintarou's move.  
><strong>

**Thanks for reading. Please drop a review :)**


	4. No Turning Back

**Let's give a spotlight to side characters, shall we? I dare to say none of you ever think that I'll write about her XD **

**This is an unbetaed version. I'm sorry for any grammatical errors and typos.**

**Disclaimer: TakeKon owns TeniPuri. EP owns OCs.**

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><p><strong>No Turning Back<strong>

There was a girl who fell in love with a boy. The first met in the elementary school. They were classmates during the fifth year. She was rich and pretty. A lot of people, young and old, who were aware of her background always tried to impress her. But that boy was different. He didn't say stupid things; he didn't have an awkward smile plastered on his face. He never treated her as if she was special.

Without realizing, she slowly fell for him.

Seasons changed and the spring came. Both of them attended the same middle school. It was when she realized that he was special. He was even more special than her and a lot of girls thought the same. She found out they had crushes on him. He was handsome, smart and well-mannered. He wasn't arrogant. He quickly befriended with the others. No one could hate someone like him.

At that time, she hadn't grown an obsession toward him. She was simply afraid that someday he would fall for a wrong girl. With that thought in her mind, she gathered some girls who had the same idealization. Together, they founded a fan club dedicated to him. Their task was to eliminate every single _fly _that dare to approach him. Other girls were afraid of them. They chose to give up on him rather than being excommunicated by this group.

Everything went smoothly until she noticed a presence of a girl named Kouki. She was a cousin of his best friend, Oshitari Kenya, and belonged to the same committee as him. At first she thought that girl was the same of any other girl, but she was wrong. That girl didn't fight the fangirls back, but she didn't give in either. Day by day, Kouki get closer to him, and the worst part was he was also fond of her. Rather than _a cousin of Kenya_, he saw that girl as his own friend.

She was jealous. She disliked that black haired girl and her guts. The more she and her friends bullied Kouki, the more stubborn that girl became.

Time passed quickly. It was already their third summer in the middle school, but nothing had changed between her, the fangirls, Kouki and him. She was still unable to get rid of that certain girl. She was stuck in her place as the leader of his fanclub while the other girl had become the tennis team's manager. Her jealousy grew bigger and bigger. She was afraid. She was scared. She didn't want Kouki stole him away.

_Shiraishi was hers!_

Something clicked in her mind. Now she realized. Rather than being a fangirl, she wanted to be his girlfriend. However, she knew that if she wanted to get closer to him, she had to break the club's number one rule. She had to betray the other fangirls, her allies, her friends…

She had to make a decision: her crush or her friends, now or never.

_She chose him over them. She chose her own ego over the bonds among fangirls._

Once the decision had been made, there was no turning back. She would do anything to get his attention. First, she had to eliminate her most dangerous love rival. She knew she could do it. She had _powers_. Everything was fair in love and war. She used the fangirls to hold Kouki girl back. Those girls believed her; they would never question her order. They would never find out that she was actually backstabbing them.

Nevertheless, _that_ was her biggest fault; she was overconfident. She had never thought of the possibility of the girls finding out her plan. The table was turned as soon as they learned this little secret. All of them hate her now. They never listened to her again. They ignored her. They acted as if she wasn't even there from the beginning. She was screwed.

_And whose fault it was?_

She didn't want to admit that it was her own fault thus she blamed Kouki. Yeah, that way she felt a little better. After all, if that girl hadn't been there, nothing bad would have happened. She thought she would fell a little ease if she saw her suffered, however…

It was her second mistake and this time she was out of luck.

Shiraishi caught her when she was about to hurt Kouki in the infirmary.

He hated her now.

Everyone hated her.

…

…

…

Her name was Kirishima Yui. She had no friends. No one was there for her in her hardest time. She was alone.

She stood in front of a departure gate in Itami Airport. She was leaving. She knew everyone would be happier if she disappeared. They didn't want her anymore, not after everything she had done.

If only she could have turned back the time, she would have redo everything.

She knew it was impossible though. After all, there was no turning back for her.

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><p><strong>I think she deserves a happy end; I'm planning to pair her up with a certain someone. Who's with me? :)<br>**


	5. Dear My Friend

**Sorry for the wait! First of all, I wanna thank to my lovely reviewers. It's really fun to read your different opinion on Yui. Anyway, this time we'll focus on Kouki's another love rival: Sanae. **

**As always, I never own the Prince of Tennis nor the lovely innocent(?) Shiraishi.**

**Sorry for bad grammar and typos. This chapter is unbetaed.**

**Enjoy~**

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><p><strong>Dear My Friend<strong>

_You know, if we didn't fall for the same guy, we might be best friends now…_

It was in the middle of summer holiday. Some clubs used this opportunity to hold intensive trainings for their respective first and second year members. These clubs included the famous National's Best Four Boys' Tennis Club and the not-so-famous Girls' Kendo Club of Shitenhouji.

"Hey, did you know? Shiraishi-senpai from tennis club has a girl friend now." A thirteen years old girl in navy blue hakama said to her friends.

Other girl in the same group nodded and replied, "Yeah, I've heard the news. They said he's been in relationship for a week."

"I'm so jealous! Shiraishi-senpai is my idol!" One of them grumbled.

"Have you seen his girlfriend? There's nothing special with her! She's just a plain girl." Said the other. She sounded as annoyed as her friends. "I don't understand his type at all."

"I know right? Well, I could understand if it was an athletic and strong girl like Captain or a beauty-"

"Enough!" A loud shout echoed in the dojo and everyone were instantly petrified as they knew whose voice it was. "You there! Don't chat during the practice! Thirty _Kata__5_ and twenty _Kata__8_ for each of you as penalty!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" The previous group of girls squeaked then hurriedly did what their captain told.

The said captain, a tall girl with short black hair, huffed as she went back to her own practice. "Geez, those girls never learn when to shut up."

"There, there, don't be so strict, Hayakashi." A third grade girl who was the captain's sparring partner tried to calm her down.

The so called Hayakashi Sanae girl frowned at the girl in front of her. "We must emphasize the rules; otherwise this club will be in chaos next year." She paused for a while then added softly. "Besides, I hate that topic…"

It had been a week since her crush had started dating another girl. She hated to admit this but she was jealous. She was as jealous as her juniors, no, she might be even more jealous than them.

_I won't lose to you._

_Let's have a fair and healthy rivalry from this point onwards, shall we?_

Such foolish things she had said when she had completely known that she would have never won against _that__girl_. The day she had declared a rivalry to that girl was exactly the same day as the day she had gotten the news that he had been in a relationship with that girl.

She wished she had never said those lines.

"Hayakashi?"

She swung her bamboo blade aside. She faced her partner with a forced smile. "Yamato, let's stop here. I want to get some water. Please watch the others for me."

The girl called Yamato nodded with puzzled look. She watched her captain exited the dojo. She noticed that Sanae had looked quite down these days but didn't dare to question her.

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><p>Cold water poured down Sanae's flushed and sweaty face. It not only helped her cool down her body temperature but also her mind. She always felt like crying every time she thought about Shiraishi and his girlfriend. Such a pity, she shouldn't cry. She ought to be stronger than this.<p>

At time like this, shouldn't she think of something else as a diversion? Like study, kendo, training, everyone in club… That way she could forget about them even for some minutes.

She turned off the faucet and took a clean towel to dry her face. Turning on her heel, she left the sink and walked back to the dojo. Unfortunately, she accidentally took a wrong path and ended up passing the boys' tennis club only to find two people she didn't want to see the most.

Shiraishi and Oshitari Kouki stood in front of the club's gate. Her heart hurt as she saw him held her hand. They looked so happy while talking about God knew what and laughed together. She knew he would never laugh so heartily with her like he did with that girl. She knew he would never gaze on her with such tender eyes like he did to that girl. She firmly clutched her towel that rested on her shoulders. How could she forget about them when they were right in front of her?

It seemed like they hadn't noticed her presence. Great, now she could use this chance to turn away and take another route.

Sanae was about to turn around when the couple's conversation suddenly stopped.

"Hayakashi-san…" She heard a faint meek voice. She looked at the owner of that voice and met a pair of dark gray eyes with her pair of brown eyes.

Shiraishi looked at Kouki, then at Sanae then at Kouki again. "Your friend?" He asked to his girlfriend out of curiosity.

"My classmate." Kouki replied quietly.

He glanced at the two girls once again then smiled. "Well then, I think I better go inside now so that you can take your time and chat with your friend here." He patted her shoulder then looked at Sanae and politely nodded to her. He soon disappeared behind the wooden slide door which connected to the tennis courts.

Sanae stare blankly at the now closed door. She really didn't know how to feel. Should she be sad, disappointed, jealous, or mad?

He didn't even know her. That fact once again torn her already broken heart.

"Hayakashi-san…" Kouki's voice brought her back from her deep thought. She looked at her. That girl looked really uneasy. Ha, she bet that girl also had never wanted to meet her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you two."

Sanae turned around and walked away in fast pace. All she wanted was to leave this place as soon as she could and acted as if she had never seen them together.

"Wait, Hayakashi-san!"

Much to her surprise, Kouki ran after her and grabbed her arm to stop her. That girl quickly released her though, as soon as their eyes met again.

_What?_Sanae silently asked with her narrowed brown eyes.

Kouki didn't dare to look at Sanae's eyes and took a step backward. She griped her left arm with her other hand as she gazed on the ground below. "I… I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Again, Sanae was surprised. This time she was surprised by how fast she could react to Kouki's words. "Are you sorry for winning? For becoming his lover?"

Kouki gasped hearing the reply. She quickly looked up. She wanted to deny but Sanae cut her.

"Oh, I see. You pity me, right?"

"I don't-"

"Don't tell me you're here only to brag about how lovey-dovey you two are now."

Sanae realized it. She realized how every single word she said was full of sarcasm and covered by thick poison. She knew she shouldn't do this. She knew that this was really pathetic, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't even stop her mouth from saying bad words which only hurt both of them. She just couldn't take it anymore. Her heart hurt so much. Without realizing, her eyes become blurry and small drops of water slid down her cheeks. She stunned. She touched the wet trace on her face and stared at her now wet fingers.

Was it tears? Did she… cry?

Why did she cry?

Whose fault was it that she felt so much pain now?

No…

It wasn't Kouki's fault.

It wasn't Shiraishi's fault.

It wasn't her fault either.

She was just unlucky that she hadn't had the chance like Kouki had had.

If only she had gotten a chance…

"It's okay if you confess to him."

Sanae widened her eyes. She couldn't believe that she had actually heard the words which had escaped from Kouki's lips. "What… What do you mean? Are you serious about this? Letting another girl to confess to your own boyfriend, just how much confidence do you have?"

"You're wrong." Kouki replied. "I don't even have slight confidence in me. I know people's saying that I'm not suitable for him. I know it might be better to be possessive and kept him away but I can't do that to _you_. Didn't we promise to fight fair and square? On the top of that,_I__owe__you_."

Sanae's looked at Kouki and that girl looked back at her for the first time. Kouki was serious, Sanae could tell it from the unwavering gaze of those dark gray orbs.

_What was wrong with this girl? She gave a chance to another girl even though she might lose her dearest one. It was too much no matter what she had done for her. They weren't even friends…_

"I… don't know what you're talking about you owe me, but telling me to confess to him when you know that there's no way he would return my feelings…"

Kouki frowned as she thought she had said something wrong which would hurt Sanae's feelings again. "I didn't mean-"

Sanae smiled. Yes, she could finally smile from the bottom of her heart for the first time as she saw the shorter girl's expression. Such a strange girl Kouki was. Really, just like other girls, Sanae didn't understand his type at all. However, somehow she understood why he fell for this girl.

And there's no way she could beat Kouki.

"_You should have some confidence. After all you're Shiraishi's girl friend now…"_

Anyway, the confession idea sounded good. Not to get her feelings returned but to let him go and move on.

* * *

><p>Some months later…<p>

"Kouki-chan, let's go home." A boy with light brown hair and bandages around one of his arms said as he leaned to class 3-C's door. His bag slung on his left shoulder showing that he was ready to go home. Next to him, another boy stood impatiently.

The called girl looked up from her book and saw her boyfriend and cousin had been waiting for her. "Sorry, Kura. I still have to finish my History projects with Sanae-chan." She apologized.

Shiraishi hummed as he looked at her and her friend who sat right next to her. "Okay then, we'll go home first then." He straightened his back then left the class with Kenya.

"Kouki and Hayakashi… Since when they got so close?" The bleached-haired boy mused as both of them walked along the corridor.

Shiraishi didn't say anything regarding his best friend's saying. Instead, his mind drove him away to a certain event that had occurred some month ago.

"_That__girl__… __She__once__confessed__to__me__…"_ He mumbled to himself.

"Huh? Did you say something?"

He turned to Kenya and quickly grinned. "Nope. Anyway, isn't it nice that finally Kouki has a best friend?"

* * *

><p><strong>For those who're a bit lost in the end, Sanae finally confessed to Shiraishi but was turned down. <strong>

**Some of you might have noticed that there weren't any best friend character for Kouki during Red Chrysanthemum. Miki was there but she's also one of Kouki's cousins, not her friend at school. At that time, most of the girls were afraid of Yui that they didn't dare to get close to Kouki. (Sounds cliché? Well, in the reality there are some bullies who also like to pick on their victim's close friends.) Another point is that Kouki started to get picked by the fangirls in the beginning of her first year thus she hadn't even had any friend yet who would stand for her.**

****I personally like Sanae. She is my third favorite OC so far. She's really tough, both mentally and physically. She is able to acknowledge her lose and move on. I hope she will eventually get a happy love live.****

***Kouki owed Sanae: thanks to Sanae that Kouki finally got the guts to talk to Shiraishi after they had had a fight (refers to chapter 19 of Red Chrysanthemum).**

***The Yamato character here is the same girl as Yamato Tsubaki from my other story _Yamato Nadeshiko is a Cinderella_. Have you read it? Please check it out if you haven't!  
><strong>

**That's all for now. Thank you for reading and please do review! :)**


	6. LovePinch part 1

**Life is so stressful. The exams are coming but I have so many problems with assignments especially group assignments. Why are people so uncooperative these days? *sighs* That's why, I wrote this chapter to relief some stress and it worked quite well. I feel bad for Kenya though. I made him as depressed as I am now, though it is on a completely different matter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis.**

**Since I don't have much time today, the story will be divided into two or three short chapters. **

**Oh, and it will probably end up as KenyaxOC, as everyone requested! :D**

**Don't forget to read the a/n below the story! It's really important!**

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><p><strong>Love<strong> **Pinch**

**Part 1**

It was the end of February. The third years all over Japan should be in ease now as the final exams were over. They only needed to _peacefully _wait for the graduation. Well, it should have been like that, but for a certain speedy freak it wasn't as peaceful as it should have been.

It all started on a certain day...

"What's this? _Prom night_?" Kenya said as he read a big flyer on the school notice board. It said that the school would hold a prom on the evening of their graduation day. It was the first time Shitenhouji held such an event.

"I've heard about that, Senpai," the second year who stood next to him said. "It's a sort of graduation party for the senior years."

"I know! I know! There will be dance as well," Koharu chirped. "I wonder what kind of dress I should wear."

"Koharu, you'll be _pretty_ in any dress." Yuuji flirted with the bespectacled boy.

"Oh, Yuu-kun~" Koharu squealed.

Err, back to the topic.

The blonde furrowed his brows. "I've never heard about that."

"It's because it's not popular in our country. I believe it's originally from America." Zaizen answered as he closed his eyes, trying his best to ignore the gay couple. Oh God, he must resist this for another several days then he would be free for at least a year.

"If there's a dance, then does it mean we have to bring partner?" Chitose asked as he studied the colorful piece of paper in front of him. Unlike the younger boy, he was completely OK with the double players' antics.

"I think so." answered Zaizen, the walking dictionary on western things.

"W- What?" Kenya's eyes widened. "Partner as in date?"

Zaizen just shrugged while Chitose smiled thinking that he might just ask his little sister Miyuki to come with him. Kenya started sweating as he took Zaizen's body language as a yes. Oh God, what should he do?

After all, Oshitari Kenya, the self proclaimed speed star, didn't have a girlfriend… yet.

* * *

><p>Shit! Shit! SHIT! At first he had thought it would have been okay if he had attended the prom without partner because some of his teammates had been singles as well. But then he learnt a very painful truth. Shiraishi obviously would go with Kouki (oh, those sickening love birds!) while Koharu was with Yuuji and vice versa. Chitose was going to bring Miyuki along. Gin had to pass the prom because he was going to Tokyo with his family right after the graduation ceremony. AND the most surprising news he got was Koishikawa would attend it with his <em>girlfriend<em>. Since when the usually forgotten vice captain had a girlfriend? Well, nobody knew.

Anyhow, this meant that he was the only one who didn't have any girlfriend or any female human being that he could take to the prom with.

"Argh!" Kenya scratched his head in unbelievable speed, causing his messy hair to be even messier. He was going to ask Miki but Hyoutei also had a graduation ceremony on the very same day. Moreover, as if it wasn't bad enough, Hyoutei was going to have a prom as well.

"Unlike your school, _my _Hyoutei will have a prom on Atobe's super famous five stars hotel." Yuushi announced on the phone. Ugh, that cocky guy! Kenya twitched, annoyed to no end.

"I'm soooooo sorry to inform you this, but Shitenhouji also having a prom this year." Yet another pointless competition on the phone.

"Is that so? Well, I'm quite impressive that you comedian school finally open it eyes to international standards but I doubt it will be as great as what we're having here." Kenya could imagine an annoying smirk grew on that annoying Yuushi's annoying face.

"Oh really? I'm 1000% sure that our what-so-called comedian school would be waaaaaaaaaaaay better than your boring school." Take that!

Yuushi cleared his throat. "But your prom can't be taken as a really prom as none of the students in your school know how to dance."

"What! I can dance better than you. You can't even shuffle properly!"

"Oh God, Kenya. We don't shuffle at the prom. Don't you even know that?"

_Oh man, Zaizen had never mentioned that._

"It's a formal dance. You won't expect to see anyone shuffle in tuxedo, will you?" Yuushi continued. Kenya could tell that the bluenette was really, reaaaaally proud of his knowledge. "And speaking of the dance," Kenya gulped. He knew where this topic would go. "Have you found a partner _yet_? As for me, of course I'll be attending with my_ girlfriend_."

Kenya snorted. "Curse you and your oh-so-mysterious lady long legs, Yuushi. You can't even prove if she ever exists."

"Well, I will. I will send you tons photos of my prom here and… I'll be waiting for yours." Yuushi scoffed. "That's of course, if you manage to shamelessly attend it _alone_."

With that Yuushi hang up the phone, leaving the extremely mad but worried at the same time Kenya with the beeping sounds.

The war was on, but Kenya was in a great disadvantage now. He couldn't draw back either because it was Yuushi he was against. Finding a partner for the prom was a do or die for him, and he had to do it in three days starting from now.

* * *

><p><strong>Unlike many other countries, Japanese rarely have proms. That's why Kenya and the others don't know well about it.<br>**

**Apparently Yuushi has a girlfriend, but he hasn't introduced her to Kenya so Kenya doubt whether he's just bluffing or not. "Lady long legs" is a pun because Yuushi has a leg fetish. We'll prove this, however, on the upcoming Yuushi's story (which will be the next story after this Kenya one ends!)**

**!ATTENTION PLEASE!  
>Aruhi no Oshitari series will have been running for two years by next July! To celebrate this, I want to ask you, my beloved readers, if you're willing to write a short side story for this series. It can be about Kouki, Shiraishi, their relationship, their friendship in the past, or any supporting characters like Kenya, Yuushi, the Shitenhouji guys, the OCs… Anything you like! Please tell me your answer, whether you're willing to take part on this or not, on the review or PM! I'll contact you back as soon as possible ^^ (Anonymous reviews are also enabled, just don't forget to tell me a way to contact you~) *crosses fingers hoping anyone will really respond to this*<strong>

**Well, that's for now! Stay tuned to read on what Kenya will do and what will happen to him as well as whom he will go with in the end of the story!**

**Don't forget to review and please respond to my request! Love you all!**


	7. LovePinch part 2

**Hello! Holiday is finally here :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis, Shitenhouji, Kenya, Shiraishi, Yuushi, etc. I only own my OCs and crappy plot~**

**Sorry for any typo and grammatical error. You know sometimes I tend to overlook things.**

**Enjoy! I'm sure you didn't expect how this story will turn out! ;)**

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><p><strong>Love<strong>**Pinch**

**Part 2**

"Geez, why did you make such a childish bet with Yuu-chan?"

"It can't be help. He was the one who started it." Kenya responded to his cousin as he leaned back in his chair. The group was having their lunch in the cafeteria when he brought up his little conversation with the other Oshitari boy.

"Well, if only you hadn't been too hot-headed…" Shiraishi commented.

"Sorry for being too hot-headed." Kenya grumbled, shoving his lunch into the mouth.

The corner of Shiraishi's lips tugged upward. Well, it wasn't strange at all to hear that Kenya and his cousin started_ another_ pointless competition on the phone… which ironically proved how close they were. "That's aside, have you found a partner yet?"

Kenya almost chocked on the food as the question caught him off guard. "T- That's…"

"Of course not," Zaizen butted in. "If he had, he wouldn't have been on rampage like this."

"Shaddup!" Kenya roared to the second year across him who continued on eating his bento calmly. "I'll prove to that glassed freak that I can get a better woman than him!"

"In the end, you're doing this only to show off, aren't you?" Kouki sighed. "Give it up; you know that Yuu-chan is better in this field. He isn't called a lady-killer for nothing."

Kenya stood up. His eyes were burning in passion and rage. "Just wait and see! I'll definitely get the best girl here!" He then stomped his way out of the cafeteria.

"Phew, he's really into it, isn't he?" Chitose whistled as he and the other watched the Speed Star leaving. Should he start a prediction whether Kenya would success or not? "He shouldn't have taken it seriously though. It's not like he wasn't allowed to attend the prom if he's solo." He himself planned to take Miyuki with him simply because the little girl said she wanted to know the middle school life more. If she hadn't, he would surely attend it alone.

"You're too naïve." Koharu shook his head. His glasses glinted in a way that even made Zaizen lost interest on his food. "Having partner means double the fun. I bet Kenya thinks the same. Right, Yuu-kun?"

"Of course, Koharu~" Yuuji replied sweetly.

Zaizen rolled his eyes. That wasn't the point.

"Even if it's true, I think Kenya has forgotten the real meaning of getting a partner for the prom." Gin's wise words made everyone stare at him in awe.

Well, that's deep.

"So," Kintarou began, breaking the lull. "What kind of tournament the prom is? Do you guys play doubles there?"

* * *

><p>Even though the blonde Oshitari tried to convince himself again and again, he was still afraid of losing on this competition. He subconsciously admitted that Yuushi was better than him when it came to girl and he knew he was really at disadvantage now. Nevertheless, he wouldn't give up yet. He didn't want Yuushi look down at him. On top of that, he didn't like the way Kouki thought that he didn't stood a chance here.<p>

_Calm down, Kenya, You can do it! First you need a plan! _

Yes, a plan. First of all, he need to know which girl was taken and which wasn't. Then he would select the best one among them. He needed a girl who could make Yuushi fall on his knees. Here, look was a crucial thing, then style. He didn't want to have an otaku-like girl stood next to him in a photo he promised to send to Yuushi. Then perhaps popularity, academics, skills, and anything else he could brag about. Then… Then…

Sitting in his seat, he started scribbling down the important things he could think of on his student note book with high speed. Occasionally he scratched some points he didn't really need as he reviewed it. Added this and that to the list, removed the unimportant parts and everything was done.

'Perfect!' He smiled contently as he had written down every quality he would like to have in a girl.

"You… You don't really think that a girl like this even exist in our school, don't you?" Kenya jolted in surprise as he heard this. He turned around and found Shiraishi had been peeking through his shoulder and read the notes.

"What the?"

Shiraishi walked then sat on a chair in front of his table. He tapped at the notes. "This. As far as I recall the one who's closest to this quality is Kirishima."

Kirishima Yui, that name rang in Kenya's head.

"Ugh, that bully." Having a thought of spending an evening with someone like her made him felt uneasy. He didn't like her and would never come to like her. He still hated her for what she had done in the past, even though she wasn't in Shitenhouji anymore.

"See? I think you should stop aiming for the appearance only. The personality is more crucial. Believe me; you won't want to spend the entire evening with a boring partner you can't even have a conversation with." Shiraishi said as he rested his chin on his bandaged palm.

"Well, you have the point." Kenya sighed, half-heartedly closed the notes. He then looked at his best friend who presumably had more experience with girls.

"Well, if you don't have any particular girl you like, perhaps we can start with what kind of girl you like?" Shiraishi shrugged. "What's your type anyway?"

"Hm..," Kenya scratched his head. "I like innocent girl."

"Shiraishi raised a brow. "Someone innocent like… Kouki-chan?"

"No, no." Kenya quickly denied. "She's more _simple minded _than_ innocent_."

"Really?" Shiraishi laughed hearing the reply. "You know, she'll be mad if she hears this."

"Meh, like I care," Kenya crossed his arms on the table and rested his head.

"Then again, the definition of innocent is rather subjective," Shiraishi continued on the matter. "I think it'll easier if you ask someone you know quite well, like one of our classmates, or those who've been your lab partners… Anyone you're comfortable with." He suggested.

"I'll do that." Kenya said, pressing his closed eyes onto his arm. "These things drive me crazy. I want to take a rest for a while."

Shiraishi gave him a knowing look then patted Kenya shoulder before he left. He had known the Speed Star for about three years and sometimes this guy just took everything too seriously despise his happy-go-lucky appearance. He didn't really understand this, but maybe for Kenya, cousins' rivalry wasn't something he could take on lightly.

That was what Shiraishi thought. But in reality, Kenya's head was now filled with other thing… Something the bible had never imagined.

_Someone innocent like… Kouki-chan?_

No, it wasn't someone like her.

It was _her_.

But there's no way Kenya would admitted it… That he had been in love with his cousin, his best friend's girlfriend, someone that saw him as a brother.

* * *

><p><strong>Somehow this turns out to be pretty sad… Well, stay tuned for the last part, which is Kenya's resolution! Don't you also want to know whom he'll ask to be his partner in the end of this story? *winks winks*<strong>

**I'm still looking for readers who're willing to write a story for this series (see the last chapter for information). Please contact me through PM or review if you're interested! ^^**

**So, how many of you had suspect that Kenya secretly loves Kouki-chan? What do you think of this development? Please review and tell me what you think!**


	8. LovePinch part 3

**So this is the continuation of Kenya's story. Finally I can feat Shota and Erina here. Shota is Kenya's lil brother while Erina is Yuushi's sister. Both of them are canon.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis, the Oshitari families except for Kouki and Miki.**

**This chapter is dedicated to sadistensai, Coco96, Raf Kowalski and Channel-N who've agreed to write their own side story for this series, as well as Rie/Valyruie who've drawn a fanart of Kouki-chan. You can take a look at her drawing here: feliciarie (dot) deviantart (dot) com / art / Dream-a-Little-Dream-301424985 (without the spaces).**

**Let's proceed to the story now. I hope you enjoy this little flashback.**

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><p><strong>Love<strong>**Pinch**

**Part 3**

It was a peaceful afternoon in Osaka residential area. The sun was setting and the sky was painted in beautiful reddish orange with a tint of dark purple. Several kids were playing together along one of the narrow path when an older girl called them out. Hearing their older sister's voice, they started running toward a house where the she was. The house was slightly bigger than the others and had a metal nameplate with Oshitari characters on it.

"The one who arrive first wins!" A brown headed boy among them shouted out and picked up his pace.

"Don't decide on your own!" One of the girls complained. Nevertheless, she still ran after him.

"Onii-chan wait!" A slightly younger kid who looked like the first boy cried out following them. Another boy with dark blue hair just shrugged calmly and jogged behind them, followed by a twin tailed girl who was the last member of the group.

"Hey, hey, slow down you guys." The older girl scolded as they approached her in various speed. She was tall, around eight years old and had the same hair color with the calm and collective boy. "Kenya-kun, remember auntie's request to take care of Shou-chan!" She shouted at the first boy who had just arrived at the front gate.

"Meh." The five years old Kenya pulled a long face as he stopped and turned around to wait for his little brother, Shouta. As he stood there, the short haired girl who had been the second ran passed him and declared her win.

"I won!" Miki said proudly.

"You're just lucky! If nee-san hadn't butted in, I would've won!" Kenya grumbled.

While the two were bickering, the other girl tried her best to catch up. "W- Wait for me." She said, panting heavily. Not noticing that there was a rock in her way, she slipped and fell. "Ack!"

"Kouki-chan!" Oshitari Erina gasped as she saw her second cousin fell down.

Seeing this, Kenya quickly ran to Kouki. When he arrived, Yuushi was already there and was helping her to stand up. The bluenette huffed when he faced Kenya.

"If you hadn't started that stupid race, she would get injured like this." Yuushi accused.

"Wait! Why was it my fault? You also left her behind, didn't you?" Kenya scowled.

"Still, you're the root of-"

Yuushi was cut when Erina smacked both of them on the head. "Enough you two!" She then turned to Kouki to check whether she was injured or not.

"I'm fine… B- But… But… K- Kuma-san is…" The little girl stuttered as tears poured down her apple red cheeks. Erina looked at a teddy bear in Kouki's arms. The girl's favorite doll was torn and covered by dirt, possibly because of her fall just now.

"Ow, Kenya. Look at what you've done." said Miki.

"Why me?" He asked. It wasn't his entire fault, yet everyone was looking at him with those accusing eyes. Not to mention the little Shota had also started sobbing. It was really unfair! "Argh! Okay, okay! I'll _heal _your Kuma-san so stop crying, will you?" He took Kouki's hand and pulled her. He dragged her inside the house and went to his uncle's study room where the well-known university doctor kept the first aid kit.

Uh, let's see what he could do with this stupid-looking doll…

He put it on the uncle's desk and stared at it. One of its arms was torn but it wasn't as bad as he had thought. Well, at least it wasn't torn apart and didn't need undergoing a _surgery_.

"Don't worry. It is nothing serious," he said, imitating the way his father talked to his patients. "All we need is to tend his wounds and he'll be fine."

"Really?" She looked at him with her wet eyes.

"Of course!" He took a bandage from the box and wrapped it around the teddy bear's torn arm. He also wrapped its head and legs for unknown reason. "It's done!"

"Kuma-san!" she hugged it dearly; despite the fact that it looked like a mummified bear now. She smiled brightly to him. "Thank you!"

"Well, it's nothing." He said proudly, rubbing the tip of his nose.

"Say, Kenya. Do you want to be a doctor as well when we've grown up?" She tilted her head.

Kenya grinned and answered without hesitation. "That's right. I wanna be a great doctor just like father and uncles. No, I want to be greater than them and become the greatest doctor ever!"

"Is that so?" she chuckled. "I wish to help you out then. Hm, what'll be good?" She putted her finger on her lips and thought for a while. "Ah, I know! I'll be your bride."

"Eh? B- Bride?" The boy's cheeks flushed red.

"Mh-hm," she nodded. "Then I'll become a nurse and we'll build our own hospital."

He was slightly embarrassed by how she said bride, but the thought of the two of them working together just like his parents was really nice. "Okay. We'll have our own hospital."

"Promise?" She asked, showing her pinky finger.

"Promise." He said as he entwined his pinky finger to hers.

It had been a little promise they made by the age of five. As time went by, a lot of things happened and the memories faded away. Perhaps by now, he was the only one who still vaguely remembered about it.

_I'm always close to you, next to you. Whenever I see you, whenever you smile for me, little by little my feelings for you grew. Can't you accept this heart that wants to protect you more than anyone else? Can't I be the one that's in your heart? _

_Can't I love you?_

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><p><strong>Originally I planned this to be a threeshot but it seemed that it would better to separate this from the last part so I turned this into a fourshot instead. This is quite short but I hope you liked it!<strong>

**The closing paragraph was taken from Can't I Love You sung by Jinwoon and Changmin with some edits.  
><strong>

**Please review and give our Kenya some love :)**


	9. NOTICE

Greetings everyone! EP has good news and bad news for you…

Bad news is, this chapter _sadly_ isn't an update you've been waiting for (sorry!) and the good news is, *drumrolls* *fanfares* I'm here to introduce two fanfics written by two amazing authors here. Remember my request for Aruhi no Oshitari-related fics? YEP, here they are!

**Unknown by thesadisttensaifuji**

**Coffee Shop Soundtrack by Raf Kowalski**

(If you're too lazy to search for them, you can easily find them on my favorite stories list!)

Both of the authors are my old acquaintances here since the day I started writing, and like what I said before, they are great! Please check out these stories above as well as their other fics.

And if by any chance you missed my A/N on the previous chapter, a reader has drawn a really pretty fanart of Kouki-chan (ffn is being really stingy I can't insert the proper address here)

**[insert dA standard URL here] [slash] art [slash] Dream-a-Little-Dream-301424985**

Last but not the least, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MY BELOVED ARUHI NO OSHITARI SERIES!

Thank you for your support.

Bye!


	10. LovePinch part 4

**Hello there. After a long hiatus, I bring you... a depressing chapter. Originally I didn't plan to insert this scene, but then I thought you might want to know Kenya's feelings better ^^a **

**Disclaimer: The Prince of Tennis, characters and schools belong to Konomi Takeshi. I only own the OCs and twisty plot.**

**Standard warning on grammatical errors and typos applies. Corrections are always welcome though!**

**Uh... handkerchief?**

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><p><strong>LovePinch<strong>

**Part 4**

Among the four cousins, Kenya and Kouki were the one who were the closest to each other. They got along really well, they had similar likings, and they never had a fight. He was sure that he was the one who knew her the best and that she was the one who understood him the best.

They were inseparable.

He thought nothing would change between them, but he was wrong.

It was around the time when they entered Shitenhouji middle school... When they met _him_, Shiraishi Kuranosuke.

* * *

><p>Soon after Kenya joined the tennis club, he met a boy named Shiraishi. That boy was really friendly and nice to talk to. He was rather humble even though he was bright, skillful, and got a lot of praise from the coach. Kenya immediately took a liking on Shiraishi and he believed they could be good friend.<p>

"Oshitari-kun's speed is really amazing."

"Is that so? I think you're also something. I'll never able to hit as accurately as you."

It was an afternoon on the third week of April. The two boys had just finished their duty to clean the courts and was about to go home. They were talking with full enthusiasm about their first time playing against each other.

And then she came.

"Kenya!"

The said boy immediately recognized the owner of the voice and turned around. "Kouki!" Shiraishi curiously looked at the direction where the voice came from and saw a girl who Kenya was waving to.

"Are you done with the club?" She asked as she approached them. "Let's go home together."

"Sure." Kenya replied in delight. He was happy that she waited for him. He then remembered that Shiraishi was also there and was about to introduce that new friend of him to her when suddenly the ash-blondehead greeted her.

"Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Shiraishi-kun." She replied timidly.

Kenya looked at them in confusion. "Huh? You already know each other?"

"Yes. We attend the same committee." Shiraishi explained.

"I see..."

At that time Kenya felt a strange tingling in his chest, but he ignored it because he thought it must be his imagination.

* * *

><p>Kenya yawned as he lazily strolled in the corridor. He was really sleepy and the fact that next class would be History didn't help at all, thus he concluded that taking a nap in the infirmary would be the best option. Only thinking about the fluffy white bed, he opened the door.<p>

He had never thought that he would see _them_ there. Kouki and Shiraishi were in the infirmary room. They were chatting and they looked so happy.

"Oshitari-kun." Shiraishi greeted as soon as he saw Kenya standing by the door.

"Yo..." Kenya awkwardly replied. "What... are you two doing here?"

"Oh, we're in charge today." Shiraishi explained.

'Of course.' Kenya thought. Why would he find it strange?

"What about you? Why are you here, Kenya?" Kouki asked.

"I just... thinking of paying a visit." Kenya was taken aback by the sudden question thus he said whatever came to his mind.

"Don't tell me... You're planning to skip the class?" she frowned.

Well, he once had planned to... but somehow he didn't feel like doing it anymore.

"No, of course not," he denied. "I'm returning to class now." He didn't know why, but he wanted to leave that place as soon as possible.

It was that strange tingling again.

* * *

><p>"You come!"<p>

"Of course I do. It's your first official match." Kouki grinned at her blonde cousin. "Good luck!"

Kenya felt really happy that she came to support him in the newcomer's match. She even took a seat in a place where he could see her clearly. It wasn't a really big match and he was playing doubles, but her presence made he want to doing his best. He felt like he could bring forward 100%, no, 120% his ability in this game. He really wanted to make her proud.

But then he realized... In the middle of the game, he took a glance at her and saw that she wasn't looking at him.

It was his double partner. It was Shiraishi.

Again, he felt something on his chest, but it wasn't a tingling like earlier. It was a pain.

* * *

><p>"Say, do you like Shiraishi?" It was a question that came out of the blue. She was paying a visit to his house. They were sitting in the living room and playing games when suddenly he asked such a question.<p>

It wasn't like he didn't realize it; he just wanted to make sure.

"Ehh?" Kouki's face instantly turned red.

As soon as he saw this, he knew that, no matter how much he wanted to deny it, his intuition was right.

"Wh- Why do you think so?" She asked back while covering half of her face with a cushion.

"Well, you keep staring at him." He deadpaned.

"I- Is that really obvious?" Her face turned even redder.

He silently nodded.

"Really," she lowered the cushion and smiled sheepishly. "There's nothing I can hide from you."

He was the one who knew her the best. There had been a time when he had been really proud of it, but now... he wished he hadn't been.

* * *

><p>"Why now? Why... her?" Kenya demanded. Up until now, the tennis club never had a manager. Shiraishi always declined every application for that position. However, just some weeks before the National Championships, the captain promoted his cousin into one.<p>

"Beats me." Shiraishi murmured as he gazed to the sky. "Perhaps... it's because it is _her_."

Kenya saw Shiraishi's gaze softened.

He knew. He realized it long time ago, that his best friend also had a feeling toward Kouki. Shiraishi never told him about this, but he knew the ash-blonde would make his move soon after the tournaments ended.

Wasn't that great? It meant her first love would soon be reciprocated.

It was only a matter of time before she_ left _him.

* * *

><p>"Sorry." He said to the girl in his arms. "You can cry, you know…"<p>

At first she denied, saying that she was okay, but then she finally broke and cried onto his chest.

"Nee, Kenya…"

"What?"

"Thank you."

It wasn't necessary. Keeping her company was, after all, the only thing he could do. It was his way to show her his love. It was okay if she only saw him as a brother. It was enough. From the beginning, he never expected she would return his love. He knew it was impossible.

He decided to support her love, even thought it shattered his heart into pieces.

* * *

><p>He looked at the girl in slumber. She looked nothing like a sleeping beauty. She looked exhausted. Her face was miserable. Her nose was red. There were traces of tears left on her cheeks. Her long hair was messy. There were blue marks all over her skin.<p>

He swept a strand of hair from her face and caressed her wet cheek.

_Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say anything for the entire two years?_

_Why? _

_Why didn't I realize it sooner? Why couldn't I see that you were in such pain?_

Wasn't he the one who knew her the best?

He had thought that he had been the one.

* * *

><p>"What have you done! You love her, don't you! Even so, why did you do that!" Kenya pulled his best friend's collar. His anger was uncontainable.<p>

Out of all people, he had never expected that Shiraishi would be the one who hurt her. _Why him?_

"It's exactly because I love her." Shiraishi answered solemnly. He didn't even try to shake Kenya's hand off.

"Bullshit!" Kenya tightened his grip. "If you really love her, you ought to make her happy! Not the opposite!"

He had realized it long time ago, that Shiraishi was the only one who could make her happy.

_Why him? Why it must be him?_

_Why can't it be me?_

No matter how much Kenya wanted to make her happy, the one she needed wasn't him. It would never be him.

* * *

><p>"So..." Kenya began as he looked at the newly-formed couple. "Why are you two here?"<p>

"You see... It's all thank to you that now we can be together. And we want you to be the first one to know that we're going steady now." Kouki explained.

"Geez, you don't have to do that." He sighed.

"But it's true. We're really grateful." Shiraishi said.

"Stop that! It's embarrassing!" Kenya groaned, which made the two laughed. "Aah... it's so hot here! I'm leaving now. I don't want to interfere you love birds." He said while placing his hands behind his head.

"K- Kenya!" Kouki blushed.

Kenya grinned at her, but then his eyes landed at their hands, which were linked to each other and his brows involuntary furrowed. He quickly turned around because he didn't want them to see his face. It wasn't an impropriate face to be shown in front of the happy couple.

"Anyway, congrats." He said before his walked away.

Two most important persons in his live were now together. As a brother and a best man, he should be happy for them.

But why did his chest hurt so much, to the point he couldn't even breathe?

That night... the Speed Star cried his heart out.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if this's too emotional and cliche. I know Kenya is OOC here but... <strong>

**Hope you like it. Please drop a review or two. I'll be really happy to hear your opinion. Concrits are always welcome!**


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